Why? With the constant need for social recognition and attention, this generation will do anything to get another like or another radical response (negative or positive).

Let us start with Gluten. K — calm down. Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease are legitimate health issues that some people unfortunately have the pleasure of facing. There are a vast array of physical and mental repercussions these individuals are constantly battling from even a whiff of the tiniest crumb. I would know- because 4 years ago I was diagnosed.

Now of course since I am “one of those people” I would be standing up for the legitimacy of the disease/ intolerance. You have to know there is a spectrum of ability to consume- some people get foggy in the mind, others are stuck in the bathroom for an eternity slowly dying, and many people get ulcers both inside and outside of their bodies. I won’t go into the specifics on the reactions, but they are not pretty.

So- there are 3 kinds of people —

1.There are the actual disease sufferers- whom are scared and anxiously anticipating every meal, wondering when they will accidentally ingest something that will cause catastrophic damage to their bodies.. I’m talking blood leaking from unspoken orifices.

2. There are the ones who are diagnosed, but sneak a treat here and there. YOU ARE WRECKING THIS FOR EVERYONE, STOP IT! But really, you are welcome to live your life as you like, and society as a whole has to understand that there are variations to the disease. You are not the problem, lack of community education on the matter is the problem.

3. There are those who boycott gluten for the sake of it’s “health benefits”. This is your disillusion. There are not health benefits to avoiding gluten entirely. Yes, cutting carbohydrates is beneficial to trimming up your body, but you can incur damage to your intestines and digestive system by avoiding gluten, essentially giving yourself an intolerance. You are a fad dieter.

By associating gluten intolerant people with the fad dieters, our society no longer considers the legitimacy of the disease but rather there is mockery and disbelief- even to the extent of malicious intended acts carried out in order to disprove the diagnosis. Disgusting.

So why am I discussing the factuality of gluten intolerance in a blog post about hypochondriacs? Well, have you noticed that basically everyone and their dog have a gluten intolerance now? Yes, it is a health concern more appropriate to our generation of gluttonous people, but just because you ate a gigantic bowl of pasta and crop dusted a room after, DOES NOT mean you have an allergy. Thank you.

Has anyone else also noticed lately, the vast array of people broadcasting their apparent anxiety and depression issues? Please stop. Don’t post this to victimize yourself and drown those who actually suffer. If you do suffer from anxiety or depression, I urge you to reach out to a medical professional or a close friend or family member. Mental health is a serious issue that is often overlooked and often under prioritized. But please do not create an “anxiety fad”.. if you have anxiety, you would know and would be more than opposed to posting such on social media for more attention.

*Understandably, individuals respond to their situations in their own way and social media postings may be the only way they feel they can reach out for help.

All I am saying is, don’t act like it is a challenge you face when in actuality it isn’t. You are further hurting those who are already suffering, and like I said, you are drowning them by lessening the severity of social perception on mental health.

OK — so with Christmas around the corner, you tend to see a parade of posts on social media about “giving back,” “random acts of kindness”. I fully condone these acts and think that this movement of do-gooders is revolutionary, moulding our sociocultural behaviour in a positive direction. BUT — there is this underlying motive, and I must stress that it is not everyone who possesses this, but a good deal — Karma and the stigma around drawing it to yourself.

Is it really karma, or good vibes, if you are intervening and doing good with the intention that you receive goodness? (Does that make sense?). When you go out of your way to do something kind to another person, yet your reason for doing such kindness is to bring more kindness to you, isn’t that selfish and entirely self-promoting?

I totally get that the more positivity you put out the more you receive, but there are actually people that are purely doing something that is noted as generous or selfless, with the very intention to promote themselves, NOT in any way to act selflessly and genuinely help another person. It really irritates me to the core – it is so fake.

On the same level of “selfish do-gooding”, is broadcasting your random act of kindness. What in the actual hell? If you are doing a random act of kindness, isn’t the very fundament of this act supposed to be “random?”. As in – not premeditated or planned out, or laced with the praise that you’ve helped someone? YOU DO NOT NEED A PAT ON THE BACK FOR HELPING SOMEONE.

You take home with you the feeling, the thought, the warmth – that you have improved someone’s day or life, even if just a little. You don’t go on social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram or whatever your poison, and make a damn post about how you helped someone, or the terribly annoying “pass it forward – random act of kindness”.. Good god, do you want a gold sticker? Does that make you feel better about yourself to have other people acknowledge you’ve done one small act?

Seriously, do you sit in the drive through at Tims, just anxiously waiting to update on your phone to all of your friends, proving how great of a person you are– like getting your fix, your high. You’re a piece of shit disguising yourself with a bow.

But you know what, it isn’t your fault entirely, this is the way of our last few generations’ culture, constant recognition for literally EVERYTHING. Next time try your random act of kindness with a little less of your own benefit in mind.

Well it is now December, and Christmas is creeping up on us… have you finished your shopping? Decorating? The inevitable roping in to Christmas baking swaps — I honestly should have started months ago, maybe will just end up punching it all out in one day.

Shall we move to one of the high stress points of the holiday season.. Now, I LOVE having a Christmas tree in my house, it emits this essence of warmth, feels like HOME. I set mine up usually right after my daughter’s birthday (mid November).. and don’t take it down until basically February.. yep – I am THAT person.

ANYWAY — heres the thing, I’ve got little kidlets, hence, “helpers”. I am sure most moms can relate… tight fisting your wine in both hands, repressing the urge to tell your kids “YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!”.. Love them to death, but those buggers cannot coordinate a tree, and I must tell you, my OCD shoots through the roof with my Christmas tree.

It turns into this never-ending battle where every day they rearrange the tree to their taste; and by night, I lurk into the living room like some kinda monster and adjust to my preference (gently whispering, “myyyy preeccciioouuss”), finally able to breathe after a day of short gasps trying to get by- with all of that mess staring at me.

I swear, I am not a super uptight person… ok.. maybe my groceries have to be set on the conveyer a particular way… maybe my tree has to be just right.. maybe I am a crazy momma.

Dis how I sit by whilst the tragedy of tree decorating commences.

ps.. notice the two larger ornamental balls on the bottom left of the tree… it’s killing me.

Meditation teachers will tell you to find a room and shut your animals out before you sit down to meditate. Too much distraction, they say. You should concentrate on yourself, they say. I often wonder if those teachers have any pets. Because if you shut a dog out of a room, that’s the only room […]

On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump, successful business man and all around obnoxious shouter, announced his candidacy for President of the United States.

I thought it was legitimately a joke, a ploy of entertainment. I laughed, and thought, HA-there would be no way this idiot was getting into the white house, unless he signed up to be the court jester. I was wrong. BOY, was I wrong!

As the polls continued to show red, Trump was taking the lead, and I felt this wave of disgust and sorrow for my neighbours to the south. You see, I am Canadian — although, the grass is not much greener on the other side — but Trudeau is another story entirely.. Yes, American friends, he is not the ugliest card in the deck, but he is sure leaving his mark on our country, which will now be uniformly, and nation wide, now be referred to as,”other”.

This morning, Americans wake up to a new dictator, his ruling will be written in history books years to come. Americans… what have you done? I say this on behalf of all Canadians, you guys need a time out.

But for real.

Are you guys aware of what he stands for? Yes, I get that he is entertaining, but is he really adequate to be a leader of an entire country? Leave him to lead his hotel staff and family. (Sorry guys– especially you Ivanka- get out while you can!)

—-these quotes are courtesy of Marie Claire, November 9, 2016 — link at the bottom—

“I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”

SO MUCH VOMIT RIGHT NOW. He is not only a complete misogynist, but appears to have inappropriate boundaries within his own family. But let us also recall — the Republican nominee for President bragged how “when you’re a star” you can do whatever the hell you want to women’s bodies—including “grab them by the pussy”…

And you know what happened? People liked him even more — because he is so outrageous and provides society with what is the driving force of today’s sociocultural force… entertainment. It is our generation’s constant NEED to be entertained that allowed this pig into presidency. Sickening..

In all seriousness… Actually paying attention to what he is saying, he is psychotic…

“I will build a great wall – and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me – and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”

He also stated he was going to build a wall across the Canadian border to “keep out the snow Mexicans”….I suppose that is okay, we don’t really want to be associated with you anymore, either. So… thanks!

I guess when you break it down… you didn’t really have much of a choice… Where the 3rd parties at? I could harp on Hillary, too. … but it might get deleted.

R.I.P. America. Canadians are now taking bids for marriage to gain citizenship, I believe the bidding starts at $25,000. Good luck. Your buddies to the north will always welcome you.

Why didn’t I go to school when I had less responsibility? I look at all the kids out there in University today and think, wow, I wish I had it as easy as you. But those were my choices. I created a family and a life with my husband (which I would not change for the world!!). Yet, I am also ignorant to the fact that each of these children have their own life struggles. I just need a minute to whine about it.

I am kicking myself in the butt for the stress I am putting myself through, as I have decided to go back to school. Why is it near impossible for a parent to go back to get an education? I am maintaining employment (lets not forget the mountain of bills we have), partaking in basically a full course load whether online or independent studies, as well as trying to balance home life. I am stressed out just talking about it.

I cannot afford to stop working, my husband’s wage won’t cover all the bills, I need to work as well. But, I do not qualify for a loan until I have not been working for 3 months, to prove that I need it. I’m stuck. We cannot go 3 months without my income, there is no way. I cannot put my children through that. So what do I do now?

Do you ever think to yourself, wow, I really have zero skills? Like really think about it. Would anyone actually come to you for anything in particular — something you are really skilled at doing or making? I mean, ya.. I craft here and there… but I do not expect people to buy this trash. I know I am hard on myself, but who isn’t? I just don’t want to be pretentious, or self inflated.

Then there are direct sales, but I hate trying to make people buy things. Like.. ” so… I mean, I have these items.. but don’t buy them if you don’t want to.” “I’ll take this one”… “No, really, you don’t need it”.

Basically I am really good at turning sales away — yay, a skill!

If there was a product I could really get behind, maybe it would be different. I used to actually be an Epicure Consultant (food, spices, cookware). I mostly bought the kit so I could get the discount and it worked out alright for me – but- I just do not possess the seller mentality and eventually my consultant status was revoked for lack of sales.

There are so many companies out there, it is hard to decide on which one is most suitable and is something you could really invest in or sell. Like.. a person only needs so many candles. Your jewelry box only holds so many jewels. You can only have like 10 bags. So, what do you do? And, why would I buy in to one of these kits anyways, if I know I am not going to succeed in it?